Switzerland
Freelancer and features writer covering human rights, grassroots actions, and stories of everyday people.
Masters in Development Studies Candidate, Graduate Institute of Geneva.
By Clare Maxwell Did you know that the CIA operation to find and kill Osama Bin Laden severely hampered efforts to eradicate Polio in Pakistan? According to investigations by National Geographic, a Pashto doctor who was hired to run a Hepatitis-B vaccination drive in Abbottabad also led to the CIA confirming Bin Laden's presence in...
by Emma Clare Maxwell A treasure trove of political opinions and slogans lies tucked away on top of a shelf in the Picciotto Common Room (PCR). Cardboard signs bearing phrases from "There is No Planet B" to "Keep India Secular" to "UN: PAY YOUR INTERNS" form a visual archive of the issues the Graduate Institute...
"Miss Nina, time to wake up! First bus leaves in half an hour!" Nina opened her eyes halfway, and nodded assent. "OK honey, I'll check on you in a few minutes," Laura replied. Or maybe her name was Jean, or Miriam.
By Emma Clare Maxwell One of the most common critiques of human rights-focused democracies is that the advancement of rights is almost never enacted through legislative or executive effort. Rather, advances in both the recognition and practice of human rights comes through grassroots movements and action by civil society.
Many members of the Kurdish community in Lebanon cannot give a solid answer to the question of whether they consider themselves Kurdish first and foremost, or Lebanese.
In-depth: Approximately 250,000 women live in Lebanon as migrant domestic workers. But activists in migrant communities are uniting against abuses under the 'kafala' system, writes Clare Maxwell. A group of activists gathered earlier this month outside the General Security Detention Center in Sin el-Fil, Lebanon, in observance of the United Nations International Human Rights Day.
Abu Mazen Square has become a bit of a joke for Palestinian residents in the occupied West Bank town of Bruqin. To understand why, it is imperative to delve into recent history. Two years ago, the site of what is now a public square was an open cesspool.
Naimeh Shamlawi missed her youngest son more than ever during Ramadan, which concluded earlier this month. Ali, 19, has spent the last three years in Israeli military detention on attempted murder charges. Israeli prosecutors claim that he and four friends threw rocks at an Israeli settler's car, causing a crash that resulted in the death of a young Israeli girl.
Submitted by Clare Maxwell, of WinchesterAfter another week of high temperatures, low rainfall and decreasing water levels in local ponds and rivers, Winchester residents are feeling the effects of the ongoing drought.Much of northeast Massachusetts is experiencing extreme drought conditions.
For young people in Ein al-Hilweh, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, there are few glimmers of hope for a better life. Like many of his peers in the impoverished community - not far from the coastal city of Sidon in the south - Khaled, 17, dropped out of school years ago.
Author: Clare Maxwell Over the past year and a half, piles of trash have episodically accumulated in Lebanon's streets due to cycles of waste mismanagement since the beginning of the country's garbage crisis. To dispose of the encroaching waste, residents and municipalities have allegedly resorted to illegal trash-burning that puts the population at risk of severe health complications.
Clare Maxwell writes, At a time when real anti-Jewish rhetoric and violence is growing in the country, we all need to stand up, condemn it, and find ways to protect Jews and other threatened religious groups. But disingenuous accusations of anti-Semitism that are hurled at Palestinians, or at human rights activists can cause damage as well.
During Lebanon's recent garbage crisis, several non-profit organisations, activists, and civil society groups said that comprehensive recycling programs should be a key part of any solution. Since then, businesses and NGOs in the Greater Beirut area have stepped up to the task of collecting, cleaning, and sorting recycling.
For the farmers in Wadi Qana embracing their land and their agricultural traditions is more than just a lifestyle choice, it's a form of resistance. By maintaining their presence on the land, they keep settlements and the wall at bay and preserve a traditional Palestinian communal economy that is struggling against eradication.
An old weapon appears to have re-emerged in Palestine. Over the past six months, say activists in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military has resumed the use of Indoor Barricade Penetrators, a form of high velocity tear gas 40mm projectile designed to deliver its payload inside buildings or homes and used during raids, demonstrations and clashes.
When Aziz 'Aasee, the mayor of Qarawah Bani Hassan village drives through the streets, we're stopped every few meters by one of his constituents, all of whom are asking the same question: When will we have water again? For some, the question is a joke; they are used to going without water for days, weeks, or even months each summer.
If the people of 'Azzun seem nervous, they have a right to be. The town (population approximately 10,000) sits on crossroads - Qalqiliya is to the west, Nablus to the east, Salfit to the south and Tulkarem to the north. This is a junction that is vulnerable to road closures and flying checkpoints.
A year and half long struggle to run Palestine Advocacy Project's (PalAD) original 'One Word' campaign on the T came to a head this Monday, at a meeting with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board.